1981 GS450E Rebuild

[Redneck]

Once again Pete you have amazed me with your creative thinking and then your ability to make it happen. I have one question though, Would it have been easier to just run a couple of leak off hoses down under the bike? But other than that GREAT job.

Paul

[pete]

Once again Pete you have amazed me with your creative thinking and then your ability to make it happen. I have one question though, Would it have been easier to just run a couple of leak off hoses down under the bike? But other than that GREAT job.

Paul

Cheers Paul, will be happy if it works out, but I'm not sure how good that tap will be without some different glue... fingers crossed the cable ties keep it in place!

It certainly would have been easier running the hose down under the bike, but I'm trying to keep things neat and tidy where I can, so this seemed the neatest solution I could think of...

The other benefit with this solution is I will know how much blow by is happening by the level in the tank, whereas if it's just going out onto the road or whatever I won't have any clue as to how much there is...

[pete]

Big bath yesterday and last night I was able to give her her first ever coat of wax... looks real shiny in the dodgy garage lighting so I can't wait to see how she looks out in the sun! Gave all the shiny bits a good polish also...

Between the bath and the wax I popped the seat and tank off and got the breather catch tank mounted up and connected as well.

Here it is with much better looking paint after the sand and respray:



I also cut a strip of rubber to put between it and the guard for some cushioning against vibration:



Anything to help that tap stay on...

Then I drilled four small holes in the rear inner guard and ran some cable ties through to hold it in place with the rubber strip underneath.



Quick comparison shot of the old oily breather filter with the new one. No wonder it was getting so messy!



Then I ran a new run of hose from the breather cover down to the catch tank and put the new filter on and it's good to go:



The glue is a bit annoying inside as it obscures part of the viewing area, but once it gets some use I'm pretty sure I'll be able to see the level just fine.

So all I have left now is the carry rack and tuning...

[bakirkwold]

Looks real good. Very custom!

[pete]

Looks real good. Very custom!

Cheers mate, only got a quick trip round the block today to fill her up ready for the week and lube the chain after the bath so not much of a test ride.

I'll know better after the commute to work tomorrow how it holds up and hopefully I get out for the planned run on Wednesday which will give it a much better test.

[pete]

It held up fine today on the commute to work. Catching the train tomorrow so the next test will be the ride on Wednesday if all goes to plan...

And this avo I got the angle grinder out and chopped the front off the carry rack to start working out how to bend it around the tail piece so I can get it welded up to the grab rail whenever it finally gets here from the US.

Just started this thread about bending steel as that's new to me:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=191881

John, might need you to do that spot of welding soon if you're still keen

[Johnny Drummond]

Pete, just put my suggestions on the hot vs cold bending question you posed but it didn't turn up here, GRRRRR I bloody hate complicated computer pages.johnny

[pete]

Pete, just put my suggestions on the hot vs cold bending question you posed but it didn't turn up here, GRRRRR I bloody hate complicated computer pages.johnny

Haha all good Johnny, I'll check in on that thread in a sec... I have no doubt you've left me some more extremely useful advice as usual

[ndaugbjerg]

Pete,
I just realized that we haven't heard from the Englishman in a while. I hope he has been profitably engaged in some other project and is not lost in the "Big Thicket".
Niels

[pete]

Pete,
I just realized that we haven't heard from the Englishman in a while. I hope he has been profitably engaged in some other project and is not lost in the "Big Thicket".
Niels

Yeah true, although he does that from time to time... doesn't post for a bit but then comes back with cool stuff...

[pete]

Well, this thread is getting very close to the finish line... I got the tacho drive replaced with the plug this avo after work finally, so then it's just the carry rack that needs to be done for this to be "complete" at last...

Pic's of the tacho replacement...

Ugly at the moment, really need to replace the dodgy Athena breather cover gasket as it's weeping just as bad as the dodgy Athena valve cover gasket did... but when I got home I got the house mate to have a look at the rounded off bolt holding the tacho drive in and somehow he managed to loosen it... and he even used the same spanner I tried with! Must've been coz the bike was still hot after the ride home...



I will have to pull the tank off and give the engine a really good scrub once I've replaced that gasket...

So the tacho drive is now removed:



And here's the plug, seal, and a new stainless allen head bolt to replace the one with the rounded off head... and of course some anti sieze:



And thar she blows:



I'll get a test on the way to work tomorrow, but I can't foresee any dramas at the present time...

[Redneck]

come on what is life without a little drama, but hey it looks like there is not much there to create drama with.

Paul

[pete]

come on what is life without a little drama, but hey it looks like there is not much there to create drama with.

Paul

Haha true... I just hate having oil continuously weeping all over my freshly rebuilt engine... irks me quite a lot...

If only I had've known about Boulevard about 12 months earlier...

[Englishman]

Pete,
I just realized that we haven't heard from the Englishman in a while. I hope he has been profitably engaged in some other project and is not lost in the "Big Thicket".
Niels

Thanks for the concern. Been going through a busy phase at work and had some household projects to take care of to keep a happy home. Will post an update to my thread later. Sadly nothing cool to report though.

Mark

[Englishman]

Pete

The Tach plug you fitted, is that a Suzuki part?

I dont recall on my 400 if there is a lock tab like you have there on the 450 - I recall just unscrewing the tach cable on mine. Looks like a very neat solution though which I would love to use.

Mark